GRILLED CABBAGE WITH SUNSHINE TAHINI SAUCE

May 30th, 2018

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Popping in real short and sweet today with another awesome grilling recipe. We went on a road trip to Nashville with Mark’s fam last weekend, which was honestly a total whirlwind. Then we came home, settled a teeny bit, got the garden planted.. and then we picked up the newest addition to our family! We adopted another sweet rescue dog! Her name is Mickie and we got her from a Toronto-based rescue called Save Our Scruff. I haven’t even had any time to take properly nice photos of her yet, but I’ll try to sneak a few with my next post. If you follow me on Instagram, I’ve been sharing some cute moments of her and Cleo together on my stories. She’s very affectionate, a little bit clingy, and seriously puppy-like at times. Her and Cleo are still figuring it out, but it’s been really fun.

We’ve been laying out our summer plans, figuring out some garden and yard stuff we’d like to tackle, and just thinking about the future in general over here. There’s nothing like that in-between seasonal shift to bring about some introspection and serious goal-setting sessions. I’m working on my summer reading list too so hit me up with your own selections. I’ve been leaning toward the more spiritual, new age, motivational, and leadership style books of late, but am open to whatever :)

And our recipe today! I have a great crispy roasted cabbage recipe in my cookbook that we love to eat all year. It has a maple mustard lacquer that caramelizes on the edges as it cooks in the oven. As I was working on the recipe (which seems like forever ago), I couldn’t help but think that grilling the cabbage might be tasty too. A little bit of char and smoke on those exposed edges along with a delicious sauce and some garnishes = prime vegetable enjoyment. I think cabbage is a seriously underrated vegetable (cheap, available all year, seriously nutritious, and delicious), so I’m always trying to play around with it and make it even more appealing.

We oil and season the wedges and char them up a bit. Then I blend up what I’m calling sunshine tahini sauce. The happy hue is from turmeric and raw carrot, but the main flavour notes are lime, garlic, and ginger with some depth from miso. This oil-free sauce is a little bit zingy and rich at the same time. Perfect for those sweet and smoky cabbage wedges. I garnish the dish with green onions, Thai basil, toasted sesame seeds, thin wisps of jalapeño, and some lime wedges. Once your sauce is made, this side comes together quite simply. It would be great with any grilled protein you’re cooking up and maybe a little bit of roasted potatoes or a hearty grain salad. Simple summer goodness!

Hope you’re all having a great week. I’ve gotta get back to wrangling my two little monsters hehe. Hugs!

GRILLED CABBAGE WITH SUNSHINE TAHINI SAUCEPrint the recipe here!SERVES: 6NOTES: Like any recipe that I post with a particularly tasty sauce, this one makes extra for your bowls, salads, fresh spring rolls, and anything else you can imagine throughout the week.-If you don’t have access to a grill or grill pan, you can roast the oiled and seasoned wedges of cabbage in a 400 oven for about 20 minutes, flipping them over at the halfway point. -I used chickpea miso and coconut aminos, but traditional soy miso and tamari are also great!-The sunshine tahini sauce will last up to a week in the refrigerator.SUNSHINE TAHINI SAUCE1 small carrot, peeled and chopped (about ⅓ cup chopped carrot)1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped½ cup tahini½ cup filtered water¼ cup + 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 big juicy lime)1 teaspoon light miso½ teaspoon coconut aminos½ teaspoon ground turmericsea salt and ground black pepper, to tasteGRILLED CABBAGE & ASSEMBLY1 small head purple or white/green cabbageavocado oil (or other heat-tolerant oil)2 green onions, thinly sliced1 sprig of Thai (or regular) basil, leaves tornhandful toasted sesame seedsthinly sliced jalapeno (optional)Make the sunshine tahini sauce. In an upright blender, combine the carrot, ginger, garlic, tahini, water, lime juice, miso, coconut aminos, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until you have a smooth, pourable sauce. Check the sunshine tahini sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside.Preheat your grill to medium high. Remove the leathery outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise so that a chunk of the core will be in all pieces. Cut each half into 4 wedges, keeping the core intact in each wedge. Place the cabbage wedges on a large baking sheet and brush with avocado oil on all sides. Season the cabbage wedges with salt and pepper.Place the cabbage wedges on the grill. Grill the cabbage until char marks form and cabbage is starting to soften, about 4 minutes per side. Be very gentle when flipping. If little sections of the cabbage fall out, it’s okay. Try to salvage and grill them separately.Once your cabbage is lightly charred and cooked, transfer it to your serving platter.Drizzle the grilled cabbage with the sunshine tahini sauce and garnish with the green onions, basil, sesame seeds, and jalapeno.

Cabbage is a very underrated vegetable. I love what you have done with it here! I will be adding it to the grill repertoire! Thanks for sharing!ReplyCancel

Helen09/06/2018 - 9:28 am

WOW! We made this yesterday night and it is so good and surprising! This will be in our summer rotation for sure. We didn‘t eat it with the tahini sauce (can‘t wait to try though) but with anchovies and garlic breadcrumbs and drizzled it with lemon juice. The coolest thing happened after the drizzling: The cabbage changed colour and turned everything from purple to the brightest pink! Soooo pretty! Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyCancel

You can also roast the cabbage! Just set your oven to 400 degrees F, lightly brush the cabbage wedges with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them on a nonstick/parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping them over at the halfway point. Once the inner part of the cabbage is tender and you have golden brown edges, you’re set.
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Debbie Reynolds21/07/2018 - 9:26 pm

I made your grilled cabbage with sunshine tahini sauce tonight. Yum!! My whole family enjoyed it. I will definitely make this again and again…thanks so much for sharing the recipe. :)ReplyCancel

Brylee30/07/2018 - 1:42 pm

I have made a number of your recipes now and consider myself a fairly adventurous cook but your flavour combinations never cease to surprise me and this one is no exception!
Your book and blog have received many a reccomendation from me to friends and family, and it’s always nice to hear how they too are delighted with every recipe they try!
Thanks for your hard work and perseverance, It’s very much appreciated.ReplyCancel